The Top 25 Conference Championship Games in NFL History
The top 25 conference championship games in NFL history could add a new entry to the collection by late Sunday evening.
The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears played two nail-biters this year already; there's a good chance a third will take place this weekend.
The same is true about the Pittsburgh Steelers-New York Jets battle later that day.
But both will have to be true classics to join this list.
Since the NFL and AFL merged and split into two conferences, there have been 80 games with the winner earning the right to play in the Super Bowl.
And while some of those have been total duds (the Buffalo Bills' 51-3 win over the Oakland Raiders in 1990, the New York Giants' 41-0 win over the Minnesota Vikings in 2000), others have been some of the greatest games in NFL history.
Check out our list.
Note: To avoid confusion, all games are listed by season, not the year in which they were played. For example, this year's game between the Packers and Bears would be referred to as the 2010 NFC Championship, even though the game takes place in January 2011.
No. 25: 1970 AFC Championship Game
1 of 25
Where: Memorial Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Final Score: Baltimore Colts 27, Oakland Raiders 17
The first ever AFC Championship Game was filled with storylines.
The Colts had not one, but two MVP quarterbacks on their roster: Johnny Unitas and Earl Morrall. Not to be outdone, the Raiders had their own old-man MVP quarterback as well, 43-year-old George Blanda, who had replaced injured Daryl Lamonica a month earlier.
Baltimore held a 20-10 lead late in the fourth quarter, but Blanda (who also kicked a 48-yard field goal that day for the Raiders) capped off an 80-yard drive with a touchdown pass to Warren Wells. Colts players swore Wells dropped the ball when hit by a defenders and fans at Memorial Stadium chucked snowballs onto the field.
Rather than sit on the lead, rookie head coach Don McCafferty and the Colts struck back. Unitas, who, Oakland head coach John Madden said "I don't remember seeing [him] play better," tossed a 68-yard touchdown to Ray Perkins to close the door on the Raiders.
No. 24: 1977 AFC Championship Game
2 of 25
Where: Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
Final Score: Denver Broncos 20, Oakland Raiders 17
Hosting the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Broncos went into the final period of the conference title game ahead 14-3. The second of those two Broncos touchdown was extremely controversial, however.
Rob Lytle fumbled at the Raiders' 2-yard line, Jack Tatum picked it up and headed for the end zone. But the ref blew the play dead, saying Lytle was down.
Later, a touchdown pass from Ken Stabler to Dave Casper pushed the Raiders to within four points.
On a gimpy hip that had him in the hospital earlier that week, quarterback Craig Morton connected with Haven Moses to reclaim a two-score lead, which Denver hung on to and earned their first trip to the Super Bowl.
No. 23: 2001 NFC Championship Game
3 of 25
Where: Transworld Dome, St. Louis, MO
Final Score: St. Louis Rams 29, Philadelphia Eagles 24
Although the Eagles offense in 2001 was very good, Jim Johnson's defense carried Philadelphia that year. The unit allowed the second-fewest points in the NFL.
So Kurt Warner, Marshall Faulk and the "Greatest Show on Turf" had a tall task before them if they hoped to return to the Super Bowl two years after their magical 1999 season.
The game was back and forth from the start as the Rams jumped out to a 10-7 lead before Donovan McNabb led the Eagles to two touchdowns and marched his team into the locker room ahead 17-13.
The running of Faulk (31 carries, 159 yards, 2 touchdowns) regained a 12-point lead for St. Louis early in the fourth quarter.
McNabb's touchdown run with three minutes to go and a three-and-out by the Rams gave the Eagles a shot.
But behind 29-24 with under a minute left, McNabb was picked off by Aeneas Williams, sending the Rams to their ill-fated showdown with the New England Patriots.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
No. 22: 1974 NFC Championship Game
4 of 25
Where: Metropolitan Stadium, Minneapolis, MN
Final Score: Minnesota Vikings 14, Los Angeles Rams 10
In a terribly sloppy game, the Vikings, led by Fran Tarkenton, held a 7-3 lead over Chuck Knox's Rams.
After halftime, Los Angeles quarterback James Harris avoided three defenders to heave a 73-yard pass to Harold Jackson, setting up the go-ahead touchdown. But great defense (and a series of mistakes by the Rams) kept them from scoring, and when Tarkenton drove the offense 80 yards for a touchdown, Minnesota led 14-3 in the fourth quarter.
Harris soon hit Jackson on a 44-yard touchdown to narrow the deficit to 14-10 and had the Rams in Minnesota territory late in the game.
Then, the Purple People Eater defense swallowed up Harris for a pair of sacks, ending the Rams comeback bid and sending the Vikings to their second Super Bowl in five years.
No. 21: 2001 AFC Championship Game
5 of 25
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: New England Patriots 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 17
Fresh off their miracle comeback in snowy Foxboro Stadium's last game, the Patriots headed to Pittsburgh to play the top-seeded Steelers as huge underdogs.
While the Patriots offense struggled some (as Tom Brady suffered a leg injury in the second quarter, forcing Drew Bledsoe to take over), their special teams produced two scores: one via a blocked field goal returned for a touchdown and one via a Troy Brown punt return.
Behind 21-3 in the second half, the Steelers started to mount a comeback, but two late interceptions by Kordell Stewart killed their momentum and sent New England to New Orleans, where they would win their first ever Super Bowl over the Rams.
No. 20: 1991 AFC Championship Game
6 of 25
Where: Rich Stadium, Orchard Park, NY
Final Score: Buffalo Bills 10, Denver Broncos 7
A year after annihilating the Los Angeles Raiders in the AFC title game by the score of 51-3, the Bills found themselves in a slightly tighter game. The game was scoreless at halftime.
In the second half, the Bills scored their only touchdown when linebacker Carlton Bailey intercepted a John Elway pass, returning it for an 11-yard score.
After knocking Elway out of the game, the Bills let backup Gary Kubiak narrow the score to 10-7. Bills fans became more than a little uncomfortable when the Broncos recovered the ensuing onside kick.
But safety Kirby Jackson forced the Broncos' fourth fumble of the day, which he recovered, sending Buffalo to their second straight Super Bowl.
No. 19: 1975 AFC Championship Game
7 of 25
Where: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 16, Oakland Raiders 10
In a rematch of the previous year's conference title game (with the venue switching from Oakland to Pittsburgh), the Steelers and Raiders played a predictably close, defense-dominated game.
The Raiders were certainly helped by the fact that defensive back Jack Tatum knocked Lynn Swann out of the game with a brutal hit. The minus-12 degree (wind chill) weather in the Steel City also kept offenses at bay.
Nursing a 3-0 lead in the fourth quarter, Franco Harris scored a 25-yard touchdown, which Ken Stabler soon matched with a touchdown pass of his own.
A Terry Bradshaw touchdown to John Stallworth increased Pittsburgh's lead, before a late field goal by George Blanda put the Raiders within striking distance at 16-10.
With only 12 seconds remaining the Raiders recovered an onside kick, but Stabler's deep pass to Cliff Branch couldn't reach the end zone and Branch was tackled at the 15-yard line as time expired.
No. 18: 1997 AFC Championship Game
8 of 25
Where: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: Denver Broncos 24, Pittsburgh Steelers 21
After a horrible failure in the playoffs a year earlier, the Broncos had a long uphill climb if they wanted to get Elway back to the Super Bowl. An upset over rival Kansas City sent them to the AFC title game, where they faced Kordell Stewart and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Behind 14-7, the Broncos surged ahead with 17 points before halftime.
Stewart, who hurt the Steelers throughout the game with interceptions (as he would four years later in the title game), battled the team back with a late touchdown pass.
Behind by three with two minutes to play, head coach Bill Cowher eschewed the onside kick and elected to kick deep and play defense. On a critical 3rd-and-8, Elway connected on a 12-yard pass to Shannon Sharpe to seal the game and put Denver in their fifth Super Bowl.
No. 17: 1983 NFC Championship Game
9 of 25
Where: RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C.
Final Score: Washington Redskins 24, San Francisco 49ers 21
Joe Gibbs' defending world champions seemed to be cruising to a second straight Super Bowl bid when they hosted the 49ers in the 1983 NFC title game.
Behind John Riggins' two touchdowns and a Joe Theismann touchdown pass, the Skins led San Francisco 21-0 early in the fourth quarter. Four missed field goals by kicker Mark Mosley didn't seem to ruin the team's Super Bowl hopes.
But with the crowd chanting "Hail to the Redskins," Joe Montana promptly threw three touchdown passes in the span of seven-and-a-half minutes to tie the game at 21.
In the final few minutes, Theismann drove Washington 78 yards on 13 plays (penalties on Ronnie Lott and Eric Wright helped as well) to set up a 25-yard field goal attempt by Mosley.
With all the pressure in the world on him, Mosley nailed the game winner.
The Redskins defense, however, crumbled again as they allowed 38 points to the Raiders while losing Super Bowl XVIII.
No. 16: 1987 NFC Championship Game
10 of 25
Where: RFK Stadium, Washington D.C.
Final Score: Washington Redskins 17, Minnesota Vikings 10
Nearly a quarter century before the 2010 Seattle Seahawks stunned the NFL playoffs, there was the 1987 Vikings.
With a record of 8-7 during the regular season, the Vikings upset the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers (owners of the two best records in the NFL) in the playoffs to reach the NFC title game. On the road against the Redskins, the Vikings battled to a 10-10 tie late in the fourth quarter.
With just over five minutes remaining in the game, Doug Williams (who struggled all day) drove the Redskins down the field and threw the game-winning touchdown pass to Gary Clark.
No. 15: 1986 AFC Championship Game
11 of 25
Where: Cleveland Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH
Final Score: Denver Broncos 23, Cleveland Browns 20 (OT)
The legend of Elway and the growing legend of Browns playoff heartbreaks intersected in the 1986 AFC title game.
Tied at 13 with less than six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Bernie Kosar hit Brian Brennan for a 48-yard touchdown that thrilled the Dawg Pound.
The Broncos' returners botched the ensuing kickoff, setting up the offense at their own 2-yard line.
You know the rest. Elway drove the Broncos 98 yards in 15 plays to tie the game.
In overtime, the Broncos forced a three-and-out, then Elway put Rich Karlis in position for a game-winning field goal and a trip to Pasadena for Super Bowl XXI.
No. 14: 1994 AFC Championship Game
12 of 25
Where: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: San Diego Chargers 17, Pittsburgh Steelers 13
The "Blitzburgh" Steelers defense lived up to its name through two-and-a-half quarters against the underdog Chargers.
Behind 13-3 with eight minutes to play in the third quarter, unheralded quarterback Stan Humphries hit more-unheralded tight end Alfred Pupunu for a 43-yard touchdown.
Late in the final period, Humphries hit Tony Martin on another 43-yard score that gave the Chargers the lead.
Quarterback Neil O'Donnell then drove the Steelers deep into Charger territory. But on a 4th-and-goal at the three, linebacker Dennis Gibson swatted away O'Donnell's pass intended for Barry Foster to earn San Diego its first and only Super Bowl berth.
No. 13: 1992 NFC Championship Game
13 of 25
Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Final Score: Dallas Cowboys 30, San Francisco 49ers 20
Eleven years after "The Catch," Dallas again traveled to Northern California to battle the 49ers for a trip to the Super Bowl.
Behind Emmitt Smith (24 carries, 114 rushing yards, 7 catches, 59 receiving yards, 2 touchdowns) and Troy Aikman, the Cowboys were able to score touchdowns while Steve Young's 49ers had to settle for field goals.
Late in the fourth quarter, the 49ers stuffed the Cowboys on a 4th-and-goal at the six, then Young drove the 49ers 93 yards to cut the score to 24-20.
With all the momentum on the side of the home team, Aikman hit Alvin Harper on a 70-yard slant-and-run that led to another score that sealed the game for Dallas.
No. 12: 1996 AFC Championship Game
14 of 25
Where: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, MA
Final Score: New England Patriots 20, Jacksonville Jaguars 6
Not only were the Jaguars bidding to become the most unlikely Super Bowl participant ever (they were a second-year expansion team), but they snuck into the playoffs then pulled off two incredible road upsets of Buffalo and Denver.
And against Bill Parcells' Patriots, the Jags more than held their own, shutting down Bledsoe and Curtis Martin while forcing field goals instead of allowing touchdowns.
With less then three minutes remaining in the game, Jacksonville had the ball near midfield, trailing 13-6. But Patriots linebacker Chris Slade stripped running back James Stewart and cornerback Otis Smith picked up the fumble, returned it 47 yards for a touchdown and sealed the Patriots' second Super Bowl berth.
No. 11: 2008 AFC Championship Game
15 of 25
Where: Heinz Field, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 23, Baltimore Ravens 14
Led by the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison, the Steelers held the Ravens to just seven points through the first three quarters.
Behind 16-7, the Ravens' Willis McGahee scored an early fourth-quarter touchdown setting up a classic defensive finish.
The Ravens forced punts only to promptly turn the ball over twice.
With four minutes remaining and needing just a field goal to advance to the Super Bowl, rookie quarterback Joe Flacco was picked off by Troy Polamalu, who returned the interception 40 yards for a game-clinching touchdown.
No. 10: 2008 NFC Championship Game
16 of 25
Where: University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, AZ
Final Score: Arizona Cardinals 32, Philadelphia Eagles 25
A few hours before Polamalu picked off Flacco to put the Steelers in Super Bowl XLIII, an even better game was a being played to determine who would earn a trip to Tampa.
Three Kurt Warner-to-Larry Fitzgerald touchdown passes gave the Cardinals a stunning 24-6 halftime lead. But behind McNabb the Eagles stormed back, scoring three unanswered touchdowns to take a 25-24 lead early in the final period.
Following three straight punts, Warner drove the Cardinals 72 yards in 14 plays for the go-ahead touchdown.
Arizona's much-maligned defense sealed the win in the final two minutes.
No. 9: 1999 NFC Championship Game
17 of 25
Where: Transworld Dome, St. Louis, MO
Final Score: St. Louis Rams 11, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6
"The Greatest Show on Turf" ran into a buzz saw during the 1999 NFC title game. The Bucs' stellar defense held Warner, Faulk and the Rams to just a field goal until late in the fourth quarter.
Then Warner heaved a 30-yard touchdown pass to oft-overlooked fourth-string wide receiver Ricky Proehl.
Behind by five points with a few minutes remaining, rookie quarterback Shaun King drove the Bucs to the Rams' 22-yard line.
Sacks, incompletions and a critical reception by Bert Emanuel overturned by replay ended the Bucs' comeback bid and sent St. Louis on to Atlanta for Super Bowl XXXIV.
No. 8: 1995 AFC Championship Game
18 of 25
Where: Three Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Final Score: Pittsburgh Steelers 20, Indianapolis Colts 16
Through three-and-a-half quarters, Cowher's Steelers did a terrible job redeeming themselves from the crushing loss dealt them by the San Diego Chargers 364 days earlier.
Late in the fourth quarter, Jim Harbaugh tossed a 47-yard touchdown to Floyd Turner to take a stunning 16-13 lead.
With three minutes left and facing another 4th-and-3 (just as he had in the 1994 AFC title game), Neil O'Donnell hooked up with Andre Hastings to keep the potential game-winning drive alive. O'Donnell then connected on a deep pass with Ernie Mills to set up Bam Morris' go-ahead score.
In the final second, Harbaugh drove the Colts into position for one last chance, but his Hail Mary attempt for Robert Bailey (barely) fell incomplete.
No. 7: 2009 NFC Championship Game
19 of 25
Where: Superdome, New Orleans, LA
Final Score: New Orleans Saints 31, Minnesota Vikings 28 (OT)
Sure, Brett Favre was the goat at the end, but that shouldn't be the only play remembered from a truly epic battle between two outstanding offenses.
The back and forth between Favre and Drew Brees led to four separate ties, including the one late in the fourth quarter.
After three consecutive possessions that ended with turnovers, Adrian Peterson capped a seven-play, 57-yard drive to even the score at 28.
The Vikings quickly forced a punt then were in position to win the game with a field goal until Favre was intercepted at the New Orleans 22-yard line.
A few minutes later, the Saints won the overtime coin toss then drove down field and kicked the game-winning field goal.
No. 6: 1987 AFC Championship Game
20 of 25
Where: Mile High Stadium, Denver, CO
Final Score: Denver Broncos 38, Cleveland Browns 33
A year after losing by way of "The Drive," the Browns headed to Denver for a rematch with the Broncos.
Again led by Elway, Denver tore apart the Cleveland defense, jumping out to a 21-3 halftime lead.
But Bernie Kosar led the Browns to four second-half touchdowns to tie the game 31-31.
The Broncos regained the lead thanks to Elway's third touchdown pass, but with roughly a minute remaining Kosar moved his team to the Denver 8-yard line.
Kosar handed the ball to running back Earnest Byner (two touchdowns, 187 yards of total offense), who was stripped by Jeremiah Castille just before Byner scored the game-tying touchdown.
No. 5: 2007 NFC Championship Game
21 of 25
Where: Lambeau Field, Green Bay, WI
Final Score: New York Giants 23, Green Bay Packers 20 (OT)
Favre's last attempt in a Packer uniform was arguably his most crushing.
The underdog Giants held a three-point lead over the Packers heading into the final period on the Frozen Tundra.
But early in the fourth quarter, Mason Crosby nailed a short field goal to even the game. Neither offense could do much during the remainder of the game and overtime was needed.
On the second play of the sudden death period, the Giants' Corey Webster stepped in front of a Favre pass at the Green Bay 43-yard line. Four plays later, Lawrence Tynes (previously a goat for missing two fourth-quarter field goals) nailed the game-winner and set up the Giants' improbable victory in Super Bowl XLII.
No. 4: 1981 NFC Championship Game
22 of 25
Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Final Score: San Francisco 49ers 28, Dallas Cowboys 27
Everyone knows about "The Catch," but that was just one highlight during a fantastic football game.
Dallas led 27-21 late in the fourth quarter, thanks in part to an undrafted rookie cornerback named Everson Walls who had 11 tackles, two interceptions of Joe Montana and a fumble recovery.
Montana rebounded from his three picks to hit Dwight Clark (over Walls) in one of the NFL's most iconic images and most memorable touchdowns ever.
But the game wasn't over with Clark's catch. Behind by just a point, a field goal would have sent the Cowboys, not the 49ers, to Super Bowl XVI. That seemed to formulate when, with under a minute to play, Danny White connected with Drew Pearson for a 31-yard catch that would have resulted in a touchdown had Eric Wright not made a desperation one-handed tackle.
On the next play, the 49ers' Lawrence Pillers stripped White of the ball and Jim Stuckey recovered to preserve the 49ers' win.
No. 3: 1998 NFC Championship Game
23 of 25
Where: Metrodome, Minneapolis, MN
Final Score: Atlanta Falcons 30, Minnesota Vikings 27 (OT)
The combined 1998 record of the Vikings (16-1) and Falcons (15-2) was 31 wins in 34 games. Naturally, those two excellent teams turned out one of the greatest playoff games in history.
After falling behind 7-0, the record-setting Minnesota offense scored 20 points and were looking for more when, late in the second quarter, Randall Cunningham was stripped deep in his own territory. The Falcons pulled to within six right before the half.
Minnesota soon regained control of the game, and ahead 27-20 had a chance to essentially seal the game with two minutes left. But Gary Anderson, who had been 38-for-38 on field goal tries that season, missed a 38-yarder, giving the Falcons new life.
Chandler drove the Falcons the length of the field and forced overtime with a 16-yard touchdown pass to Terance Mathis.
In overtime, the two offenses traded possessions before Morten Andersen ended the game with a 38-yard field goal that earned Atlanta their first and only Super Bowl berth.
No. 2: 1990 NFC Championship Game
24 of 25
Where: Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA
Final Score: New York Giants 15, San Francisco 49ers 13
Seven-point underdogs to the defending two-time world champion 49ers, Lawrence Taylor, Leonard Marshall and the Giants defense kept New York within striking distance.
Behind 13-9 with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, Marshall clobbered Joe Montana, knocking him out of the game.
A few plays later, Parcells gambled with a fake punt (Gary Reasons' 30-yard scramble up the middle) that resulted in kicker Matt Bahr's fourth field goal.
Still, with less than three minutes to play, the 49ers had the game locked up until nose tackle Erik Howard forced a Roger Craig fumble that Taylor recovered. Career backup Jeff Hostetler then drove the Giants down the field, setting up the game-winner by Bahr, thus ending the 49ers' bid for a three-peat and setting the stage for Scott Norwood's miss a week later in Super Bowl XXV.
No. 1: 2006 AFC Championship Game
25 of 25
Where: RCA Dome, Indianapolis, IN
Final Score: Indianapolis Colts 38, New England Patriots 34
No other conference championship ever had as many subplots or history. And although it would seem to be impossible, the football game actually lived up to the hype.
Peyton Manning couldn't beat Tom Brady. Manning couldn't beat Bill Belichick. Manning couldn't win the big game, not even when he was a Tennessee Volunteer.
All that seemed to be again validated nearing halftime of the 2006 AFC title game as the Colts trailed 21-3.
But then Manning drove the Colts 80 yards in 15 plays to set up a 26-yard field goal by former Patriots hero Adam Vinatieri.
The momentum from that drive continued into the second half as Manning produced three consecutive touchdown drives (totaling over 200 yards of offense in the third period alone) and the Colts found themselves tied with New England at 28.
Late in the fourth quarter, the Pats reclaimed the lead 34-31, giving Manning one last chance to prove his doubters wrong. He did, driving the Colts 80 yards in seven plays for the game-winning touchdown.
Three plays later, Marlin Jackson's interception of Brady sealed the victory and put Indianapolis in their first Super Bowl ever.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
.jpg?w=600 "Post-June 1 Trade Candidates ☎️")
.JPG?w=600 "TO Talks Cowboys Relationship")
.jpg?w=600 "Taylor Heinicke Retiring")
.jpg?w=600 "49ers OC Hypes Mike Evans 🤩")